


What are you waiting for Alex?

by ItsAshippersWorld



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-11-01 10:39:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17865692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsAshippersWorld/pseuds/ItsAshippersWorld
Summary: Had to write a little something to get through this Malex free week :-)





	What are you waiting for Alex?

Alex sat at the edge of the booth, picking at the label on his beer bottle, trying to focus on the conversation of his friends, the music, the sound of the drunks squabbling over a game of pool. Anything that wasn't what was happening at the bar. He just couldn't help himself though, always a sucker for punishment as his father had said, and looked across.

Michael was sitting on his usual stall, with his usual whiskey and his less-usual-but-still-regular-enough female companion. Tonight's was all cheap extensions, low-cut top and lower back tattoo. Alex had only noticed the back tattoo when Michael's hand had slid down her back coming to rest with the tips of his fingers just inside her jeans. She had responded by thrusting her chest at him a little more, in a way Alex was impressed she had managed to push it forward even further than before. 

He watched as she giggled and put her hand into Michael's hair.

"Alex! Alex!" He snapped out of his trance as Liz smacked the table in front of him.

"Are you trying to crush that bottle with your bare hands?!" Kyle asked, eyebrows raised slightly. Alex realised how tightly he was gripping his beer and loosened his hold slightly. He shook his head and tried a weak smile "sorry guys I know I am not much fun lately I am just tired...work you know?" He looked up again into three very sceptical sets of eyes. 

Maria was first to crack and blunt as ever she nudged Kyle in the ribs and made an exaggerated flick of her head towards the bar "is work what we are calling him these days then Alex? I mean a pain in the arse sure, but 'work'?" Liz giggled next to Alex, then clutched her hand to her mouth as she realised it had come out aloud. 

She composed herself, put a hand on Alex's arm and asked him quietly "I thought you ended it?" Alex took a moment before he met her eyes. Maria and Kyle were already in another discussion something about the new barmaid and whether Kyle stood a shot. Judging by the loud snort Maria emitted as Alex went to open his mouth, Kyle's odds didn't seem great. "Just because I walked away, didn't mean I wanted it to end. I have never wanted it to end, not really, its just..." Alex resumed picking at the label "always been a case of bad timing I supposed" he finished conscious it was a lame response.

"Bullshit" He was thrown for a second by Liz's outburst. She rarely swore and somehow this shocked him more than her blatant disbelief. "Ten years Alex, actually more like twelve now, this isn't anything to do with bad timing this is just you being afraid. It was one thing to be afraid at seventeen that he was it for you but you are nearly twenty eight you have been to war, you can't be afraid of how you feel about Michael anymore, but if you are going to sit here and watch the man you love leave this bar with that woman then maybe you are more of a coward than I ever knew" she sat back against the booth, leaving her words to sink in. Coward. Coward. Coward. It echoed round Alex's head. It stung and for a moment he was angry at Liz, but then he felt it sink in - he was angry because it was true. "What are you waiting for Alex?" Liz's voice in his ear was soft, her arm wrapped round his shoulders and she squeezed him slightly in an awkward hug. 

Alex jerked upright, slightly unsteady on his prosthetic. Walking without the crutch to aid him was taking more getting used to than he had hoped. He leant heavily on the table "I am calling it a night...see you all tomorrow for breakfast." Alex turned and moved towards the bar, he stopped about four paces short of Michael and took a breath. The woman was running her other hand up Michael's thigh, Alex watched him adjust slightly to allow her more access. He shook his head, who was he kidding at this point, and turned for the door. His leg was hurting him and he was suddenly aware how tired he really was, not because of work, but because of this. This mess he had made, and he knew that while Michael wasn't blameless it was mostly on him, a mess he didn't know how to get out of. He paused again at the door as a wave of fear washed over him - maybe it was all too late now, too many things that had been said and couldn't be unsaid. 

He pushed the door open. Coward. Liz's words rang in his ears.

Suddenly decisive, he spun round and walked towards the bar. He didn't stop until he was standing behind Michael and the woman. "Excuse me" he said as he pushed between them. The woman stepped back, a look of distaste on her face "what the fuck do you think you are doing?" she snapped as her long nails scraped across his shoulder. Alex barely heard her though, Michael was looking up at him, his eyes full of confusion, a little anger and a glimmer of hope. Alex glanced around at her "he's taken." The woman's mouth fell open and he heard Michael say his name, his voice full of questions. "He's mine" Alex clarified as he put his hands on either side of Michael's face and turned it up towards him. Their lips touched, it was chaste, and for a second Michael didn't react and Alex felt his stomach drop.

Then Michael's hand were clutching his back, tugging his t-shirt, dragging him down deeper into the kiss. Alex heard a cheer from the booth his friends were sitting in and he smiled against Michael's mouth as he felt his tongue slip inside.


End file.
